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After 'fresh start' in Detroit, Rafael Bush returns to Saints as veteran leader

Posted on June 21, 2017 at 11:00 AM

New Orleans Saints safety Rafael Bush during the second day of mini camp at Saints headquarters on Airline Drive in Metairie, La., June 14, 2017. (Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

New Orleans Saints safety Rafael Bush during the second day of mini camp at Saints headquarters on Airline Drive in Metairie, La., June 14, 2017. (Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

Rafael Bush is looking forward to having fun again now that he's back with the New Orleans Saints.

The veteran safety experienced a run to the postseason with the Detroit Lions in 2016, but being with a new team led to some stressful situations as he made the adjustment following four years in New Orleans.

"Everything was so serious for me in Detroit," he said last week. "Coming into a new team, trying to earn everybody's trust and just trying to figure things out and not really knowing anybody and just trying to find your way, I was kind of uncomfortable at times. It was just my personal experience; nothing somebody had done to me.

"It took me some time to settle in. Being here, being somewhere you're comfortable where you've been before, they know you upstairs, players know you in here, it's kind of easier to get acclimated."

Back in New Orleans now, Bush is familiar with many of his teammates as well as the coaches and executives. He's also well-versed in the defensive scheme because of his previous stint with the Saints and playing under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen with the Denver Broncos in 2011.

In his second stint with the Saints, Bush is taking on a new role as the veteran leader among the defensive backs. At 30, he's the eldest player in the secondary, and even though he doesn't feel old, he jokes that he is relative to his teammates.

"If you watch the tape, I don't look like I lost a step or anything of that nature, but I am the oldest in the room and I take pride in being a leader," he said. "I take pride in being a vet, so I just want to lead by example."

Bush could've stayed with the Saints last year. They made him an offer before he signed a one-year deal with the Lions. Although he didn't mention his primary reason for leaving, he didn't have a clear path to a starting job in New Orleans with Kenny Vaccaro and Jairus Byrd as the top two safeties.

So, after ending both 2014 and 2015 on injured reserve, including playing just one game in 2015 before suffering a torn pectoral muscle, Bush said he wanted a "fresh start." He played all 16 games for the Lions last year, starting four, and had 53 tackles, two interceptions, three passes defensed and one sack.

"I just felt like, with the way I left, I probably could've stayed," he said. "They say the grass isn't always greener on the other side. I enjoyed my time in Detroit. I learned a lot. I'm able to come back here and bring that veteran leadership to the room."

One thing Bush learned last year is how to win close games. The Lions went 9-7 en route to a wild card berth, and eight of those wins were by seven points or fewer. Bush said he can help use that experience to teach the younger players on the Saints.

Where Bush will fit with the Saints is still unclear. Vaccaro and Vonn Bell, a second-round pick in 2016, project as the top two safeties. Marcus Williams, this year's second-round pick, will compete for playing time. Veteran Chris Banjo is one of the team's top special teams players, and Erik Harris is back from a knee injury that shortened his first year with the Saints after transferring from the CFL.

Whether he plays special teams, defense or both, Bush said he's not thinking about what this season has in store for him, but because he likes being a versatile player, he expects to have fun regardless of his role.

"I'm just trying to come out here and be the best me I can be, and we'll just see where the cards fall," he said. "Obviously, I want to be an integral part of the defense and those are my intentions, but I can only control what I can control. I can control my effort, I can control when I'm out there making plays. And wherever the cards fall, just roll with the punches."